BV

BV stands for Besloten Vennootschap and is the Dutch equivalent of firms that have Ltd after their name in Britain or Inc in the US. It means the enterprise in question is a limited liability company. To set up a BV you need capital of at least €18,000 and a declaration from the justice ministry saying it has no objections, which is why ‘empty BVs’ are often in demand. The term ‘BV Nederland’ is often used to describe corporate Holland or Dutch industry, as in ‘BV Nederland welcomes tax cuts’.